About

Space Monsters Love Bullets is a casual mobile game for iOS and Android devices designed in a modern-pixel style. It combines a few different game styles in a fresh way that makes it a game you can pick up and play instantly, but has a depth that will keep you coming back.

The game revolves around credits. Bullets cost credits to manufacture/fire and monsters give up credits when destroyed. Bigger artillery cost even more credits, but have special properties (like bouncing between enemies) and can generate more credits. However, if you fire too many stray shots and you will soon find yourself cash poor in a universe full of space bad guys.

That’s where Ted comes in. Our little space friend runs from left to right and back again replenishing our stash of cash so we can continue to fight the good fight. He will do so tirelessly and without complaint. Well, until he gets tired and complains.

Ted has needs like any other space worker. He wants fresh coffee, somebody to chat with and a decent vacation once in a while. Credits can used to fulfill his needs or give him items to make him more productive.

The game progresses by completing challenges and unlocking achievements that open new items, monsters and challenges. However there’s no end to this space war, nor is there a linear path to follow. Play for 5 minutes or spend hours mining credits for the perfect power-up—it’s up to you.

Of course there are! Since the game is designed to be free to play, everyone will receive a copy if it’s funded. Pledges of $5 or more will receive a spectacular Kickstarter Only in-game item to help you and Ted rid the universe of space monsters. The item will be made available as a secret code that can be entered in the complete game and will be delivered via email.

We have some other great digital rewards for $35. For starters, you will receive a copy of every video game
I've ever made. This includes all the games created by NO2 Games and
any solo projects or game festival entries. This also includes redemption codes for Tilt-a-Bowl for iOS and Android.

For some of these classic games, it's the first time ever they are available for download. You'll get Miniverse Minigolf, Let's Go Bowling, eGames Fishing, Mad Orbit, and a few prototypes thrown in for good measure.
(Please note: In some cases these are very, very old games. Downloads are for Windows only and may require some additional setup.)
These games will be delivered as digital downloads or promotion codes to be redeemed on the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

I also wanted to do physical rewards and we have two available. A sticker set (my kids love them) of the sprites from the game at $15 and a T-shirt with a design inspired by the modern pixel graphics style at $50. (At $50 you get the Stickers and the Digital Downloads too!)

These rewards are available at the $15 and $50 pledge level respectively, and the T-Shirts also gets you the stickers and downloads. The design is not finalized, so this is just a representative image of the final products.

I’m really excited about the stretch goals.

Our first stretch goal is an Original Song, "Love Theme from Space Monsters Love Bullets" by Jonathan Mann. If we exceed our $12,000 funding level, Internet "sensation" Jonathan Mann (of a Song a Day Fame) will score the theme song for the ending credits in a style of his choosing.

The second stretch goal is to create Windows and Mac versions of the game at the $24,000 funding level. (Linux too! See the FAQ for more info.) If we hit this goal, everyone who backed the game at $5 or more will not only get the game on all platforms, but an additional PC/Mac bonus item beyond the mobile in-game item.

I love making games, but I also like building software that makes games, and just mentioning the words “open source” makes me weepy. In fact the two biggest tools I use to make the game are open source already.

So at the $36,000 level I will make all the modules that I build to make the game open source on GitHub. And I will spend the time to document and create tutorial videos for them. If you are a game developer that uses the Corona SDK, your pledge could help you make your next game.

This includes updates to my current projects, Corona Tiled (Tiled Map Editor Support) and Corona Shoebox (Texture Packer and Bitmap Font Support) and any many other modules from this game or my previous games. Things like simple remote image loading and GUI tools—also, I will do my best to document the port from Corona SDK (mobile) to LÖVE2D (Windows/Mac).

That’s it. Pledge if you can and share this page with your friends
who may be interested in this kind of game.

Special thanks to Black Moon Design for some fabulous pixel art additions to this project.

Risks and challenges

I’m no stranger to making games. My first game was an entrant in the inaugural Independent Games Festival, and in 2002 my studio, NO2 Games, was an IGF finalist. Over the past 15 years I’ve shipped 4 retail games (that’s in stores, son), and I’ve released countless other games including (somewhat) successful iOS and Android launches.

However, this is only my second solo project, and a big risk from a genre perspective. Perhaps it's the biggest risk I’ve ever taken (at a point in time in my life when I should probably stop taking risks). Although it’s not likely, if I get hit by a bus, there’s no one to take on the project.

The major concern is the game schedule, because (as always) the budget is tied to the schedule. $12,000 is a tiny budget for any game, let alone a cross platform one. Rushing to complete the game by December will affect the quality, so keeping focused and on point is key. To that point, the large stretch goal (basically the Win/Mac ports) will be delivered in 2014 so the main game can get my full attention.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $35 or more
About $35

At the $35 pledge level you will receive a copy of every video game I've ever made. This includes all the games created by NO2 Games and any solo projects or game festival entries. As a bonus this also includes redemption codes for Tilt-a-Bowl for iOS and Android. Of course you also get all the rewards at the $15 level.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

At $500 you will get an in game item named in your honor. Imagine telling your grand kids about the Alfred P Sloan Memorial Ion Cannon (or something like that...) Plus all the rewards at the $100 level.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

At $1000 or more, you are probably my parents, in which case I will promise to bring the family home for Thanksgiving this year. Honest. If you’re not related to me, you will be listed as an Executive Producer and will get all the rewards.